I actually saw this one first, then found a copy of the first one. Since I live under a rock, I had never heard/read all the hype mentioned in the review thread of the first movie. I saw one trailer for BSII:ASD. It billed it as being "even more of what you loved".

Flanery, Reedus, and Connolly are back, as are the original 3 cops, but not Defoe. Julie Benz is an FBI agent.

Plot: Their favorite priest is killed, so the twins come out of retirement (herding sheep in Ireland with their dad) to avenge him. Dad eventually follows. Much violence ensues, cops baffled, FBI takes over the case, you learn more about il Duce's career, villain is killed.

Feel: Still pretty much like a comic book movie, but closer to "Dredd" than to "Red" or "2 Guns." Yes, I know the comic books weren't made until after this movie came out, but that's the best comparison I can make. The other thread kept saying BS1 was "trying to be Tarantino but failing," but I can't compare them because I thought the two Tarantino films I've seen were boring ("Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction"). Not being Tarantino is good, to me. Yes, I know I shall now be eviscerated by movie-director buffs.

Technique: Still lots of crime-scene reconstructions, a bit fewer flashbacks, plenty of slo-mo.

Rating: I don't really like comic book movies (-1), but there is plenty of action (+1), no boring love story (+1), and the villain gets it in the end (+1). I'll give it an extra point for Not Being Tarantino (+1), creating a lovely +3/5.